​Stanbridge Academy held elections for the 2016-2017 Student Government on Wednesday. The positions open were president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

“Student Government is in charge of facilitating school spirit, planning Spirit Week, arranging music and activities at school dances, and other Stanbridge functions,” said High School Teacher and Student Government Sponsor Travis Callan. “If a student wants to be a part of student government they decide which role they are best suited for, write a speech, and create posters for their candidacy.”

Speeches were delivered Wednesday during first period in Hayden Hall.

“The speeches were well-thought out; I could tell they put a lot of work into them,” said 8th grader Nick Hopper.

All students in grades nine through 11 were invited to participate in the election process.

“It was nice that I had a choice when it came to who has power,” said Nick. “In choosing a candidate for each position, I thought about how each candidate was as a person and what they want to accomplish and assessed from there.”

Polling was conducted via secret ballot in Jay Huston’s classroom immediately following the speeches. Members of the senior class then tallied the votes and the winners were announced during Resource later that day.

“I looked around, and I thought, ‘there are things that I could do here, ways that I could help our school.’ So I decided to run for Student Government President,” said President-Elect David Winslow.

During his speech David presented a list of priorities for his term.

“Some of the things I want to accomplish are getting student DJs at more dances, getting students more involved in sports—either intramurals here at school or on the teams that play at other schools—and taking ideas from all students, not just ones on student government,” said David.

David and the other elected officials will take office at the start of the new academic year in August.

​Thanks to the generous donations of more than 150 different donors, Stanbridge Academy’s exceeded its goal of raising $230,000 for this year’s Annual Fund.

“Tuition alone doesn’t cover the annual operating budget of the school, so the money raised by the Annual Fund is crucial to keep programs like experiential trips, assemblies, and other special activities to enrich the students’ experience” said Acting Head of School Lauri Kober. “I am so proud of our community and the way it has come together to support this cause.”

Donors included current families, faculty, trustees, alumni and alumni families, relatives and friends.

“I donated, because it was the right thing to do. The school needs all the support it can get, and I was fortunate enough to be able to donate,” said Director of Counseling Mary Stadler, who was instrumental in getting 100% participation from the staff this year. “It’s important for us to show other possible donors that [the faculty is] on board with the school’s goals and that we fully support Stanbridge.”

The Board of Trustees and two out of three divisions also reached 100% participation this year.

Additionally, a significant portion of donations came from corporate matching.

“Some—typically larger—companies have special benefits for their employees that include programs whereby they seek to be philanthropic for tax as well as for social reasons. In these instances, the companies match up to certain amounts or percentages of the donations made by their employees to non-profits,” said Board Member and Annual Fund Chair Gloria Principe. “The school is grateful for these matches and endeavors to encourage parents and other donors who have this opportunity to take advantage of it. This year we earned a likely record amount of corporate matches, money the school cannot get without the help of its donors.”

Google, Gap, Goldman Sachs, PG&E, and Morgan Stanley were among the companies that doubled their employee’s donations.

None of this could have been possible without the hard work of Gloria and her team of parent solicitors.

“Stanbridge Academy was like a life ring buoy for my son drowning in the public school system. He was underperforming compared to his abilities, but the public school was ill-equipped to bring his academic skills to the surface. He has blossomed at Stanbridge and built self-confidence,” said Linda Neuman, a junior high parent who participated as a parent solicitor this year. “In short, there are few schools like Stanbridge that cater to twice exceptional kids, so I strongly believe in supporting them in their efforts to help our children achieve their true potential.”

Parent solicitors were involved throughout the campaign from stuffing envelopes for the initial mailing to the Giving Tuesday Phone-A-Thon and Pledge Week.

“The money raised primarily benefits the current students and—by consequence—the current parents,” said Gloria. "That's why I strongly believe that the current parent component of the Annual Fund should be led by a team of current parents.”

Although the largest percentage of donations came from current parents, nearly one quarter of the money came from outside donors.

“Our effort to reach 100% participation from staff, board, and current parents motivates others to give,” said Gloria. “We are all in this together.”

​Chianti bottles filled with red roses line long tables covered with immaculate white tablecloths as the scents of an Italian dinner tantalize the noses of gentlemen and ladies, dressed in their best finery. A melody floats off the keys of the grand piano. Glasses clink. Candles flicker. Truly a Bella Notte.

Welcome to a night in Venice, Stanbridge Academy’s Prom 2016.

“This year’s prom was the best!” exclaimed one junior. “I loved dressing up and dancing with all my friends.”

For two days, Stanbridge Academy parents and parents of alumni worked to convert Hayden Hall into an Italian piazza.

“I was very honored to be asked to help decorate the prom this year,” said Emily Bentley, whose daughter graduated from Stanbridge in 2013 and has been decorating Stanbridge’s proms for the past five years. “Originally, Gina LaBlanc was taking the lead and had started collecting many decorations. I incorporated all of Gina's decorations and have also added my own. It is my hope that I can create an atmosphere that is in line with Gina's vision and is a bit of a tribute to Kyle.”

In addition to a venetian flag hoisted in front of the school and floor to ceiling windows with views of the Laguna Veneta and St. Mark’s Clocktower, a quiet frame with a photo of Kyle, a Stanbridge senior who died earlier this year, adorned a place of honor on the grand piano.

“Hayden Hall was transformed,” said another junior. “I loved all the decorations, especially the tables with the gondolier hats.”

The theme was also expressed in the menu, which was chosen and implemented by Jackie Donaho, the parent of a graduating senior and proprietor of Destination Taste.

“I chose balsamic grilled chicken, because it has amazing flavor and is not too saucy,” said Jackie. “My picky kids love it, so I figured the kids at Stanbridge would too.”

The meal rounded out with Caesar salad, sides of steamed asparagus and rice pilaf, and Italian classics tiramisu and cannolis for dessert.

“The food was really good this year, especially the chicken,” said one sophomore. ”It was really tender and flavorful.”

Meals were served by teacher chaperones bedecked in striped shirts and straw gondolier hats.

“Chaperoning prom gives me an opportunity to see our students all dressed-up, and witness their excitement, especially those who have dates,” said Junior High Teacher Calvin Yuen, who volunteered for chaperone duty. “I chaperoned prom last year also. Everyone has fun, including the chaperones.”

After dinner, students adjourned to the U while the room was flipped for dancing.

“The best part of our high school dances is that they are gatherings of peers, gatherings where everyone participates the way in which they are most comfortable,” said Anna Zara, a senior parent and Prom Committee Chair. “No one is judged for how they dance.”

“I had a great time at prom,” said one freshman. “I already have it on the calendar for next year!”

I am thrilled to be joining the community as your incoming Head of School in July. The Board of Trustees has made it a priority to enable me to hire a Principal to support the faculty and ongoing development of the curriculum. This is especially important given that we will be going through our first accreditation with California Association of Independent Schools and reaccreditation by Western Association of Schools and Colleges this coming year.

I am very pleased to let you know that I have already met with MattPoynter and that he has accepted this new position of Principal. I know that many of you had the opportunity to meet Matt during the Head of School search process. Matt, a former Stanbridge teacher, brings his unique knowledge of Stanbridge and its student population as well as his recent experience as Director of Education at Oak Hill School to this new role.

I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for their wisdom and support in creating this position and allowing me to hire Stanbridge Academy’s first Principal now, so that we can both hit the ground running together in July. Best regards, Julie SmithIncoming Head of School

While the rest of pop culture may be bent on telling stories of Batman, Black Widow, and Mystique, Stanbridge Academy’s latest production allows audience members to imagine a world where a band of misfits can save the universe.

Meet the Odd Squad, a group of a-typical superheroes who band together to stop a psychopathic former inspiration speaker from using weapons of mass destruction.

“Each actor kind of took the favorite things about themselves and created their own characters,” said Dave. “The actress playing Aprés Brûlée likes French and baking things so the character is a chef. The character also brings out her sassy side, which is hilarious.”

The student who plays Cog Von Clank—described as a “wandering robotic nomad”—says his speech impediment was actually the impetus for developing the character’s voice.

“When I was in 7th grade I used to stutter. I found that if I spaced out each word and made it robotic sounding I could get through my lines more easily,” says the now 10th grader. “I also improvise at least one or two of my lines each performance, because I can’t remember them. I think it adds to the randomness of the character.”

Although the focus of the performance has mostly been on the actors themselves, the production has been a group effort with much of the behind-the-scenes work being done by students in the high school studio art, maker, and woodworking classes.

“Dave came to me last year asking if my classes could construct theater flats (also known as Broadway flats), which provide a backdrop for the theatrical piece. As all of the flats are identical, there are a few different ways the "walls" can be arranged depending on the director's vision,” said Woodworking Teacher Aaron Carter. “We made four 4x8 ft. flats and primed/painted them the tone they selected.”

Three studio art students then spoke with Dave about what he envisioned for the look of the set. The entire class then painted the design that was created by those students onto the theater flats.

“I really like to draw and I really like to paint but this was different because it’s more than just art,” said one of the set designers. “It’s pretty awesome knowing that I helped bring the stage to life and made the play a reality.”

The Maker class was vital in creating the giant mechanical arm for Cog Von Clank among other props.

“When you collaborate you’re including so many more parts of the school and highlight the unique talents of more students,” said Dave. “There a sense of pride that develops. As an audience member I can say ‘I made that prop’ or ‘I did this or that.’”

“The Odd Squad” will open first for an all-school performance Thursday afternoon before their evening performance Friday at 6:30pm. This is the first time Stanbridge will offer an evening performance.

“When there’s no sun outside it gives the performance a more intimate feeling, a more real feeling. It makes it feel like you’re going to the theatre instead of it just being an assembly,” said Dave. “I wanted to give these students that experience.”

Join us for “The Odd Squad” Friday, April 22 at 6:30pm in Marilyn Center.

We are happy to announce our new Head of School, Julie Smith! Below is a letter from Board Chair Linda Waissar and a personal note from Julie.

Dear Stanbridge Community,

I am incredibly excited to announce our new Head of School, Julie Smith. It is difficult to find someone with the breadth and depth of experience Julie brings to the position. She has been a head of school for the past 20 years of her career, notably at only two different schools, most recently at Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto. Her roots, however, are in the classroom as a teacher and learning specialist, drawing on her master’s degree in special education.

The Board and I are confident that Julie’s experience, passion, and integrity will bring calm and stability after our difficult year, while bearing focus on the mission of educating our students and supporting our teachers. Julie’s educational philosophy is completely aligned with Stanbridge’s individualized whole student approach and the school’s mission of serving our balanced and diverse community of learners. She is also committed to strengthening our staff, including creating a role focused on supporting our program and faculty.

I want to thank the Stanbridge community for your support and patience during this process. My fellow Search Committee members (John Barnett, Kim Kornmann, Mike VanderLey, Laura Winfrey, and Anna Zara) need to be especially applauded for agreeing to do this yet again, this time knowing full well the many difficulties the process entails. The lion’s share of gratitude, however, goes to our amazing faculty and staff, led by Acting Head Lauri Kober, for their unflagging commitment to educating our students academically and emotionally. Julie joins me in recognizing the dedication of our staff, and we are eager for her to join them.​Regards,Linda WaissarChair, Board of Trustees____

Dear Stanbridge Community,

From my first visits to the campus it was evident that Stanbridge Academy is a safe and caring environment where each child is known and cared for by all adults in school. Seeing students engaging with their teachers, counselors, administrators and Board Members it was clear that they feel safe and supported by all. I am excited at the opportunity to be a part of this learning environment that so clearly tends to the needs of the whole child. Helping children to understand their strengths and challenges and how to utilize their strengths sets them up for successful lives beyond school. I am thrilled to join a school community where the students are at the center of their educational experience. I believe deeply that social-emotional wellbeing is a critical component to academic success for all students.

I look forward to guiding Stanbridge Academy through our initial accreditation with the California Association of Independent Schools, and to partner with the Board of Trustees in the development of the strategic plan. I understand the gem that Stanbridge Academy is in our community, the real difference it has made in the lives students and families, and I am honored to be a part of this next step in the school’s journey.

“Arthur found out about the contest when our class went to Rethink Waste for a tour in September,” said his teacher Maggie DeLoach. “We saw lots of other kids’ recycled art on display. Then he acted on his own.”

Arthur created a 3D war tank from recycled cardboard.

“I like WWII stuff and have a special interest in mobilizing armored cars. The tank I built is a very special Class I Tiger Tank that was used by the German army,” said Arthur. “I made it out of cardboard because we just moved [to the Bay Area], and we had lots of leftover boxes in the garage.”

The tank will be on display at Rethink Waste’s Earth Day @ Shoreway event.

“I think it’s cool that I won first place the first year I participated,” said Arthur. “I hope people see [my tank] and think recycling is cool.”

• What will you be doing at Stanbridge?I am the Assistant Director of the Transitions Program at Stanbridge. In conjunction with Mary Hurlbut, I will be developing and promoting the program while cultivating community partnerships that will benefit the students. Primarily, however, I will be working directly with students supporting them in off-campus community integration opportunities. I will guide them in developing semiprofessional skills and identifying the educational and vocational opportunities that fit their unique interests and aspirations.

• What are your goals for the Transitions Program?To support students in making a smooth transition into adult life, whether it be college or a vocation of their choice. The program will provide students with opportunities that help hone their social, and independent living skills. Students who complete this course will be confident and realistically positive about embracing the next steps of their journey.

• What is your background? What led you here?I first began working with people with intellectual differences in high school when my mother worked as an administrative staffer at a day program. After studying education in college, I joined as a full-time counselor at her work development program and later assumed various rolls including supporting a group home and a behavior modification program. Family and work opportunities led me abroad to Ireland and later to Kentucky where I managed thoroughbred farms. Longing to return to this meaningful work with a neurodiverse population, I re-engaged with a residential program and moved to California. Having built a strong network over the past many years and most recently working as a case manager for a large day programs, I recognize the vital importance of engaging and supporting individuals with intellectual differences at a young age.

• Why Stanbridge?Everyone is focused on the common goal of supporting the students to develop and realize their potential. It seems to be a supportive community environment that engages students who are motivated. The school is at a crossroads. As one of the few life skills programs connected with a private high school in the Bay Area, the Transitions Program at Stanbridge will help our students launch and develop to fullest extent of their abilities.

• What is one fun fact about yourself?I am a dual citizen of Ireland and America.

• Is there anything else you'd like to add that I haven't asked you about?My passion is helping people. I think neurodiverse and differently abled individuals have so much to share; although the challenges can be great, when offered opportunities that accommodate for their needs, the results and rewards—to the individual and the community—are extraordinary.

​in·i·ti·a·tive (iˈniSH(ē)ədiv/) 1. the power or opportunity to act or take charge before others do. 2. the ability to assess and initiate things independently.

Chances are, if you look up the word “initiative” in the dictionary, you’ll see a photo of William Lane. That’s because William, a Stanbridge Academy alumnus, completely embodies the word. From writing his senior thesis during his junior year to founding a club for students with disabilities, William has surpassed expectations.

After graduating from Stanbridge in 2012, William enrolled at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA and declared a major in history.

“I was drawn to history thanks to a couple or really good documentaries and teachers at Stanbridge,” said William. “[Former Stanbridge teacher] John Montgomery is a major reason I love history.”

As part of his degree requirements, William was required to write a thesis. While some may have been daunted by the prospect, William completed his paper a whole year early.

“It came about almost by accident. We register for classes on an electronic system and on that system the class wasn’t listed as senior thesis but as a research seminar,” said William. “Even after I found out it was a thesis class I decided to take it anyway. The professor listed for the class was an Asian history professor, and I knew it was a topic I liked.”

“The question was: after internment, how did Japanese Americans go from being ‘the enemy’ to being ‘a minority’ in only a couple of decades?” said William. “Teenagers who had been interned were now being lauded as exemplars of the American dream. How did that happen?”

William is currently in the process of submitting the paper to undergraduate journals in the hope of being published.

During his time at St. Mary’s, William has also delved deep into other American eras: he spent two summers interning with Professor Carl Guarneri, PhD, who is an expert on the Civil War.

“I was looking for something to do over the summer, so I went in to see if I could help any professors,” said William, who joked that his pitch was something along the lines of “I’d be happy to just make coffee; I don’t know how, but I’d be happy to learn.”

“It was more than I could have ever hoped for,” said William.

Prof. Guarneri ended up asking William to be his research assistant on a project involving Charles Dana, who worked as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of War from 1863 to 1965 under the Lincoln Administration before going into newspapers.

“I looked through some of his war time correspondences, and I did my own private research to confirm one my private suspicions: that he had been fired,” said William. “That’s how we knew it was time to switch from The Chicago Republican to The New York Sun.”

William’s drive also extended beyond the classroom. During his junior year at St. Mary’s (while he was writing his senior thesis), he took it upon himself to found the Diverse Abilities Club.

“Diverse Abilities is a club for St. Mary’s students with disabilities and non-disabled students who are in solidarity– known as allies,” said William.

“This is something we hoped to do for awhile, and it’s finally happening,” said William. “This event means we’re a functional group, that this isn’t a pipe dream.”

William will be working even more closely with DREDF this summer during his internship. In addition to digitizing old files, William is most excited about the prospect of doing youth outreach and “advising the law firm how to best reach out and work with youth with disabilities.”

Despite all his success, William is humble and says he never would have achieved so much without his post-Stanbridge support network.

“I found that several of the Stanbridge teachers had connections with St. Mary’s and [my family and I] also got in touch with the parents of people on the spectrum who’s children went to St. Mary’s and asked for advice,” said William. “Maureen [Zane] in particular helped prepare me and pave the way for me to go to college.”

William says one of the main things that attracted him to St. Mary’s was its supportive environment.

“Make sure you’re going to a school that knows how to work with people with your disabilities,” said William. “When in doubt, ask for help.”

​The Stanbridge Academy student basketball team trounced the staff players at the annual Staff versus Student Basketball game at the Martin Luther King Community Center in San Mateo last week.

Although the Staff team led 13-10 at the half, younger legs won out with the students making up the deficit and winning 28-22.

“The student’s performance in the second half was uncanny,” said High School Teacher John Barnett. “It was like wolverine was on the other team, and he willed his team to victory…again.”

The Bulldogs were led by top scorer and Bulldog Award winner Stevie Harvey.

“I was happy to win the Bulldog award because it’s about more than being good at basketball; it’s about sportsmanship and effort too,” said Stevie.

Students and staff came out to support both teams with handmade signs.

“On my sign I drew to cartoons from the Peanuts movie and wrote ‘Snoopy and Woodstock wish you good luck,” said one junior high student. “It was an amazing game. Both teams were really aggressive, and there were a lot of great plays.”

One of the most unbelievable plays of the game was when Upper Elementary Teacher Teresa Calano made a reverse hook shot for two points in the second half.

“The boys were too tall to shoot over so I did a reverse hook shot,” said Teresa. “It was pure luck that I made it!”

The afternoon concluded with a short ceremony back Stanbridge in the Marilyn Center. In addition to a few special awards including the Bulldog Award, Sportsmanship, and Most Improved, each of the student players was congratulated on a season well done and presented with a framed team photo.

“Right now the Bay Area Small School Athletic League (BASSAL) is just getting off the blocks,” said Coach Mark Kelley. “...but next year it’s going to be even better organized with more games and sports. Basketball is the hub of this league.”

This is the seventh year the staff versus student basketball game has taken place. The students currently lead the series 4-3.

Last week, Stanbridge Academy students of all ages entertained an audience of their family members and peers at the 2016 Talent Show. More than 20 students braved the spotlight to perform an assortment of talents from singing and dancing to playing the piano to a homemade, stop-motion animation.

“Since we are a K-12 school and are such a supportive community, our talent shows tend to have more variety,” said Talent Show Director and Head of High School Jay Huston. “Our students feel comfortable to show off non-traditional skills and participate in cross-divisional acts.”

One of those multi-grade acts included two middle elementary school students and one high school senior rocking out to “We’re not Gonna Take it” by Twisted Sister.

Jay says Stanbridge has a talent show for the same reasons as any other school: to showcase the parts of students that aren’t revealed during the regular school day.

“But we have an additional reason,” said Jay. “To give our students, whom have been stifled and hidden at previous schools, a chance to shine!”

“I always like going up and performing in front of a large group of people,” said a junior high student who sang Ghost Town. “Adam Lambert is my favorite singer so it was an obvious choice.”

Staff members also delighted the audience with a hilarious skit.

“Whether it was impersonating late 1990s WWF wrestlers with my friends as kids or performing stand-up comedy in college, I have always loved to perform,” said High School Math Teacher Matt Juul. “When I gather with the staff for a formal or an informal meeting, I'm usually not as talkative. So it was great to not only work with a talented cast but to show Stanbridge that I can entertain an audience.”

Although the event was managed by staff members, the show was hosted by a high school senior.

“I don’t really like to perform, but I like public speaking,” said the Emcee. “I think the show went really well. A few of the bands were awesome.”

That’s how Upper Elementary Teacher Jerrod Nelson described his experience dancing with the performers from Jabali Afrika.

Jabali Afrika was the second of five assemblies hosted by Stanbridge Academy this academic year and featured two Kenyan musicians. The duo combines classic African rhythms with original compositions and makes them come alive on a wide variety of musical instruments including drums, guitar, and a kudu horn. The interactive performance concluded with teacher and student volunteers learning to do traditional Kenyan dance moves.

“I do ballet, and I like to choreograph routines at home, “ said a high school student who volunteered to dance. “I thought it’d be fun to learn new dance moves—they were more hip hop-y—so I volunteered.”

Getting to participate is definitely a highlight of each performance for the students.

“I’d probably say my favorite was the Egypt assembly, because it was really hands on,” said one junior high student. “I mean, we got to touch a snake!”

During the Egyptian Animals assembly, students learned hieroglyphics, dressed up in the guises of Pharaohs, and even got to pet snakes, turtles, and pygmy goat.

“My favorite was the Joe Odhiambo assembly, because it was interactive, and I love basketball,” said a high school student.

The enrichment assembly program was started several years ago to bring educational entertainment into the school.

“We thought the kids would really enjoy the entertainment, but we also wanted to have some educational value in the assemblies we chose,” said SPA Assembly Coordinator Jackie Donaho, who scheduled this year’s events. “I tried to mix it up in the past with pure entertainment, like "The Chinese Acrobats" and the "Science of Sound" which had an educational theme mixed in. "Ready, Set, Jump" mixes comedy with the importance of physical activity.”

Alumna Sara Lopez says life “is an adventure” but even more so when you’re 5 years old.

“Everything is so new and exciting,” said Sara, who teaches kindergarten at Stratford School in Santa Clara, CA. "The more excited about learning [the students] are the more curious they will be and the better the chance they have to be a learner throughout their life.”

Sara herself is a life-long learner. She received her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, CA before doing her student teaching and earning her teaching credential.

“When I first started going to college I was really lost. I thought I should know what I wanted to do,” said Sara. “When I realized I didn’t need to be that focused, I tried out many different types of classes and took courses that just felt right.”

Eventually, Sara determined she had a passion for education and decided to teach preschool for a few years.

“While you’re in college, you have the opportunity to fill out your life as much as you can,” said Sara. “You can do that by traveling or taking the odd job or volunteering.”

In addition to her experience in early childhood education, Sara also worked as a waitress and a nanny, volunteered at a veteran’s home, and even spent several months traveling in Europe.

“All of those jobs and experiences helped me figure out what I was good at and what I wanted to spend my life doing,” said Sara.

Those activities, she says, also helped her feel like she was part of a community.

“I kept myself busy. I didn’t let myself be alone,” said Sara. “You’ll make friends wherever you go, but you have to get out and find them.”

Sara is already busy navigating her next adventure: getting her master’s degree in counselor education at San José State University.

“I still feel like I’m not really done with school,” said Sara. “For the moment I’m really happy teaching kindergarten, but I would eventually like to teach at the community college level.”

“I was cool with whatever happened,” said Jace, “but it’s awesome that I won.”

The winning design was voted on by all Stanbridge students, faculty, and staff on February 11and 12.

“It was cool, and it was very creative, “ said one 7th grader of the winning design. “I like the cute giant octopus.”

The cover design is based off of the yearbook’s theme. Yearbook club members and art students brainstorm many different theme ideas before whittling them down to five. Then yearbook club members and art students vote for their favorite theme. This year’s winning yearbook theme—Dive Deep, Explore More!—was propounded by High School Junior Anthony Martinelli.

“I was listening to the song Rhinestone Eyes by the Gorillaz; it’s on their album 'Plastic Beach,' which is ocean-themed,” said Anthony. “The idea just spawned from there.”

All high school and junior high students are invited to submit a cover design for consideration. After a preliminary round of voting by Staybridge faculty and staff, the field is narrowed to five finalists from which all students vote for their favorite design.

“Voting gives everyone a voice in the yearbook design,” said Yearbook Sponsor Camille Geraci. “Plus it’s something fun that we do as a school. It brings us together and builds community.”

This year’s design includes a calculator-toting kraken attacking a yellow submarine.

“Somehow the idea of a kraken came up, and I thought that would be really cool,” said Jace.

Yearbooks will be delivered around the third week of May. Many thanks to everyone in the yearbook club for all their hard work.

​Last month, Stanbridge Academy staff spent their professional development day on an experiential learning field trip: shadowing their peers at other bay area schools.

“As we began the 2015-16 school year, we spent a great deal of time looking at the Growth Mindset and strategizing on how these techniques would help us to further develop our Professional Learning Community,” said Director of Student and Staff Development Chris McMorrow. “While we continue to establish internal practices that support this aim, we would be remiss if we did not take the opportunity to stretch ourselves beyond the confines of our campus to observe other successful learning communities in action.”

“As part of a network of small ‘sister schools,’ we make a point of opening our doors to all matter of professionals in an effort to exchange ideas and resources,” said Head of Sterne High School Melissa Meyers. “We aim to keep an open mind and never stop learning; reaching out to the larger educational community is a ripe opportunity to do so.”

While on the observation, teachers and counselors were asked to take notes about what they saw and experienced in their host classroom.

Upon returning to Stanbridge, each staff member reflected before filling out a one-page worksheet.

“We wanted to guide the teachers as to what to be thinking about as they’re exposed,” said Chris. “We asked them to note anything that seems especially effective or useful regarding the classroom set up and environment.”

Staff shared their impressions and the information they gathered with one another at the all-staff meeting afterschool last week.

“I was very impressed with the student body and the support that staff had for each other,” said High School Teacher Travis Callan who toured Sterne School. “I definitely found at least one or two gems to bring back to Stanbridge for use in my own classroom.”

According to Chris, the goal of the program was two fold:

That the teachers gain an increased awareness of the types of amazing local programs that exist and the different populations that they serve.

That our teachers are inspired by different techniques, assistive technologies, and personal styles being used by teachers in such local programs.

“We definitely liked going to another school and getting to see what they do,” said Upper Elementary Teacher Teresa Calano who toured Sand Hill School in Palo Alto, CA. “They do executive functioning at the end of every school day. We’d really like to implement that in our curriculum here.”

Stanbridge Academy is a caring, inclusive K-12 school for students with mild to moderate learning differences and social communication disorders. We use an individualized, whole student approach so that students thrive and develop their academic, social, and emotional capabilities to their fullest potential.